Now that hundreds of thousands of employees are forced to work at home, we need power moves for great success.
If you have read any of my previous posts on remote work, you will realize what a fan I am of that method of working!
Remote work has problems but it is still an awesome method of getting work done. I won’t go into the benefits as I have done that in previous posts.
In this blog post, I want to discuss my experience with the environment you work in and some tips to make your remote work successful.
Having worked remotely myself either part-time or full time for over a decade, I have learned a few tricks…unfortunately, it has been through trial and error rather than genius.
Eat Up
In addition to not taking breaks, I have found it easy to skip meals while working hard. It is easy to drop into a mode of pushing to get things done and it is hard to take a break to eat up.
Then I get, later in the day, a huge attack of hunger and I start scarfing anything down the gullet. Very bad. Taking time for a sandwich at noon or some other periodic time will keep those peaks and valleys of hunger under control.
The Earl of Sandwich had it right…a sandwich mid-day saves the day!
Think of it…bread will stick with you for the rest of the day. A meat slice (or 3) will give that protein to power you through the afternoon. A lettuce leaf or cucumber slices will give you good vitamins.
If you look across the internet, there are many studies showing how important it is to take a break and get some food.
Your mind needs to refresh and refocus, your energy level drops because of lack of food. While we can push on with physical activities (e.g., digging a ditch), it is much harder when doing mind work like in front of a computer.
You will drag the rest of the day with a break and food. I have seen my productivity drop tremendously and my ability to produce slows dramatically when I have not had a lunch. Your eyes also need to have a rest from the screen – even if it is only 15 minutes at a time.
Especially when I was working on some intense project, I got the idea from psychologists and their counseling sessions. These sessions only last 50 minutes each hour. I have built my work schedule on that same level (not perfectly I have to admit). I try to take a short break every hour, get up walk around for a moment or two and then back to work.
Dress Up!
This is the strangest item but I found a method of trying to work better is to dress up. This does not mean putting on a suit but it does not mean working in your jammies either. For those that really, really want to work in their night clothes, have at it but…
My favorite work clothes is a nice dress shirt with blue jeans. Showering and getting putting on some nice clothes does make me feel better and ready for work.
Each person needs to find their own dressing style that works for them.
Find Your Own Style
Remember, these are only suggestions that I use when working remote. They work for me. I have no idea if they will work for you.
Try out a number of different methods that will work for you and stick to you